Hiring great employees does not stop at their qualifications listed on their resume. Of course the candidates’ qualifications matter, but it’s also important for hiring managers to place an emphasis on the emotional intelligence of their employees. Studies have shown those who manage and understand their own and others’ emotions are better equipped to handle the pressure of being a leader.
The issue is that it’s difficult to assess emotional intelligence when hiring–– especially because the interview process doesn’t always give you an accurate picture of the candidate. It’s important to understand that you can hire for emotional intelligence, and it doesn’t have to be costly!
First, let’s uncover what exactly emotional intelligence (EQ) means. According to Very Well Mind, “emotional intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions.” In everyday life, the ability to express, control, and understand emotions is a huge contributor to your overall success.
In fact, some researchers suggest EQ is more important than IQ in determining if you will be successful in life. Because of this, many companies today mandate emotional intelligence training and utilize emotional intelligence assessments during the hiring process.
According to research performed by Harvard University, the Institute for Health and Human Potential, emotional intelligence counts for twice as much as IQ and technical skills combined in determining who will perform.
Emotional intelligence is currently one of the top 10 most in-demand skills wanted by employers and it will remain so going into the future career world.. Emotional intelligence is important for all employees, but especially for those at the management level. These employees set the tone for the entire workplace, they need to understand how their emotions affect those around them.
When you actually speak to the employee’s references, be sure to ask questions that guide you toward how the potential employee displays potential emotionally intelligent behaviors.
Specifically, it’s important to ask for examples of how the candidate acts toward other people.
Employers think they are basing their interview questions on emotional intelligence, when in fact, they are missing the mark. As humans, we allow people to be vague in their responses and fail to ask the follow-up questions that matter.
Typically, when candidates are asked questions surrounding emotional intelligence, they answer with an idealized version of themselves.
A few questions you can ask to get to the root of the emotional intelligence of your potential employees include:
There are a few ways that current business owners and HR professionals are working to find emotionally intelligent candidates, however, they can be less effective than the avenues listed above. For example, using a self-report test can be a challenging way to accurately identify emotionally intelligent candidates. Some candidates may not be self-aware enough to fill out these tests in an accurate manner, and even if they are, are they telling the truth when applying for a job?
As you work toward hiring more emotionally intelligent candidates, it’s important to understand the traits to look out for. These traits include:
Emotionally intelligent employees have the ability to impact your company culture in an extremely positive way. They are able to put out fires as they need to, lift the spirits of the rest of your team, and stay level-headed during tense and difficult situations.
As you look to hire an employee who holds these qualities, it’s important that your recruiting and culture are aligned to attract and retain them. Reach out to one of our culture operations specialists today to see how we can help!